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GEOFF HITS THE TON

September 12 2015.

Last Sunday was a real milestone in the gardening calendar for award winning Seaford gardener Geoff Stonebanks. Not only was it the garden's last day of opening for Artwave 2015, which saw over 800 visitors spend over £12000 during the 7-day festival, but it was also the 100th opening of the garden since it first opened for Seaford in Bloom back in 2009. The garden has been well publicised this year with two features in national weekend newspapers.

To celebrate the event Geoff advertised that the 100th visitor on the 100th opening would receive complimentary tea and cakes in the garden along with a bottle of bubbly and £10 worth of raffle tickets for the grand, artist donated, raffle which he organises each year. The lucky 100th visitor was Jeff Holm, who along with his wife Rosemary and brother John and his wife Linda thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon in the garden. When the raffle was drawn Linda also ended up winning the 4th prize too!

Geoff is a dedicated fundraiser for Macmillan Cancer Support and has raised a total of £31000 for them in recent years along with a further £30000 for other charities. On Sunday he presented a cheque to Tom Carter from Macmillan for £8000, which had been raised through the annual garden trail, which he single-handedly organises each year, and the events he holds in his own garden, Driftwood, in Marine Drive BishopstonE. Several of the garden owners on the trail joined Geoff for the presentation too.

Tom Carter then drew the raffle for the ten artist-donated prizes which had generated £1100 for the charity.

Tom was quoted as saying: “I was delighted to visit the beautiful Driftwood garden again on Sunday. This remarkable donation is a credit to the wonderful enthusiasm and commitment of Geoff and all the garden owners who participated in the trail. Without them Macmillan simply could not be there with medical, financial, practical and emotional support for the 25 people newly diagnosed with cancer in Sussex every day.”

Geoff said: "It is so rewarding to be able to hand over so much money to Macmillan on behalf of all the garden visitors, garden owners who have been so generous with their money and their time. If anyone is interested in taking part on the trail in 2016 it will take place on the 9th and 10th July 2016."